Enhancing the nursing role: why nurses want to cannulate

This small qualitative study explored nurses’ reasons for undertaking a traditional medical task, that of peripheral intravenous cannulation, and their perceptions as to how this task contributes to their nursing skills. The findings suggest that it benefits the continuity and quality of patient care and provides nurses with personal and professional satisfaction, promoting the delivery of holistic care and the opportunity to initiate autonomous clinical interventions. It is argued that the development of such nursing skills may require professional and organizational support in the form of practice guidelines, protocols and vicarious liability boundaries to enable nurses to practise effectively and efficiently.